The Monrovia City Council on Dec. 2 certified the final environmental impact report for the 701 South Myrtle Avenue specific plan and voted to adopt a package of resolutions that advance the project while introducing (first reading) a zoning ordinance to reclassify the site.

Planning Division Manager John Meyer told the council the proposal packages a general plan amendment, a specific plan (PD‑29), zone changes, a tentative parcel map and a conditional use permit. The project would cover 1.61 acres and construct a five‑story, up to 65‑foot building with 204 rental units — 20 studios, 147 one‑bedrooms and 37 two‑bedrooms — plus public plaza and streetscape improvements. Under PD‑29 staff said higher density (up to 105 units per acre) is allowed only when paired with a specific plan and a minimum affordability requirement: 10% of units for low‑income households plus three additional moderate‑income units.

John Meyer said an independent feasibility analysis by the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments and Economic and Planning Systems supported the PD‑29 approach and that the environmental review found, with mitigation, no unavoidable significant CEQA impacts. "Across the 15 topic areas studied, every potential impact was reduced to the less‑than‑significant level," Meyer said.

Opponents and members of the public focused on tree removal, neighborhood character and construction impacts. Resident Rosemary Gavittia warned the project would remove mature 40–50‑year pine trees that provide shade, habitat and fire‑safety benefits and called for a redesign to preserve canopy. "Once these trees are cut down, you cannot bring them back," Gavittia said. Chase Preciado, counsel for the group SAFER (Supporters Alliance for Environmental Responsibility), asked the council to send the EIR back for revision, arguing the draft did not quantify construction diesel particulate cancer risk and understated construction noise. SAFER said an expert screening analysis indicated risks exceeding the thresholds used in the EIR.

Dale Goldsmith, the applicant’s CEQA counsel, replied that SAFER’s screening model overstates impacts and that a refined health‑risk assessment using the EPA‑recommended AERMOD methodology shows risks below South Coast Air Quality Management District thresholds. Goldsmith also submitted a supplemental noise analysis that he said showed impacts were less than significant.

After discussion about design compatibility with Old Town Monrovia and the tradeoffs between added density and affordable housing, Councilmember (mover) made a motion to adopt Resolutions 2025‑61 through 2025‑64 and introduce by title Ordinance 2025‑12, which would rezone the site from office/research/light industrial to the specific plan zone. The motion was seconded and passed on a roll‑call vote with the council recording affirmative votes for all members present. City staff read the ordinance title into the record and said the ordinance will return for final adoption at the council’s next meeting.

What happens next: the introduced ordinance will come back for adoption at a subsequent meeting; the EIR certification and adopted resolutions advance the project into the entitlement and implementation phase pending any appeals or permit requirements. The city also noted that some project conditions (including landscape review) will return to the Development Review Committee for finalization.

Provenance: topicintro SEG 895 — topfinish SEG 2241

Speakers: John Meyer (Planning Division Manager; first reference SEG 903), Brad Griggs (Blake Griggs Properties managing partner; SEG 1310), Scott Griggs (developer; SEG 1361), Dale Goldsmith (applicant counsel; SEG 1588), Chase Preciado (SAFER counsel; SEG 1400), Rosemary Gavittia (resident; SEG 804), City staff (multiple segments).